Preparation for Catholic Marriage through Creighton University and St John’s Parish

Goals of Marriage Preparation at Creighton/St. John’s:

Marriage Preparation Ministry is a strong and vibrant

tradition at Creighton University and St. John’s Parish. This important ministry supports Creighton’s mission of upholding the living tradition of the Catholic Church through embracing and furthering the sacramental, social and spiritual development of couples in the Creighton community. The Creighton/St. John’s Marriage Preparation Ministry strives to uphold the sacredness of family life, the inalienable worth of each individual and the call to life-long committed love relationships.

Components of the Marriage Preparation Program at Creighton/St. John's:

When a couple becomes engaged and decides to do

marriage preparation at Creighton/St. John's the couple is challenged to consider many issues. The marriage preparation program is designed to help the couple to take time to reflect and discern this life changing decision. The couples are asked to attend an Educational Retreat in which they take time apart to focus on their relationship. Additionally, each couple take the FOCCUS Inventory which surfaces important topics which should be discussed by a couple before they commit to married life with one another. The couple then meets with a FOCCUS Facilitator for approximately six sessions to discuss the FOCCUS Inventory results. This is a great opportunity for the relationship to develop more fully. Lastly, each couple attends a session which highlights the theology of marriage in the Catholic Church.

Soll/Linderman Wedding in 2010.

Meet Kathy Martin, the Coordinator of Marriage Preparation at Creighton/St. John’s University/ St. John’s Parish. Kathy received her Masters Degree in Theology from Creighton in 1999 and a teaching certificate from Creighton in 2008. Kathy has worked with youth and families around the issues of relationships in the Archdiocese of Omaha for the past 20 years. She brings excitement and a sense of pastoral ministry to her role as Coordinator of Marriage Preparation. Kathy is married to John Martin and they have three young boys. Campus Ministry Office, Swanson Hall, G26 Phone: 402.280.220

Reflections From Brides and Grooms on the Marriage

Preparation Process at Creighton/St. John's:

“It was good to really sit down and talk about what marriage means, how it affects lives and ideas to make it successful. It’s a big life decision and it deserves a lot of thought. It was good to re-iterate important things (like communication) and it brought up some things we had not talked about (finances).” Groom married in June of 2013 “Our FOCCUS Facilitator did an amazing job of reminding each of us that marriage requires humility, compassion, and intimacy. Dependence on God is the best way to create space for these things to grow. It was a time for reflecting on my own history, how my friends/family have shaped my spirituality, and the importance of intentionality during the new faith journey with my spouse.” Groom married in July of 2013 “We have grown immensely as a couple. The sessions really helped us a lot to be open and honest and to talk about whatever was on our minds.” Bride married in May of 2013

Who do we serve at Creighton/St. John's?

The Marriage Preparation program at Creighton/St. John’s serves the community of students, faculty, staff., alumni, children of alumni and parishioners. Over 80 couples are prepared for marriage at Creighton/St. John’s every year. This is nearly double the amount of weddings at any parish in the archdiocese of Omaha. For this we have over 20 trained FOCCUS Facilitators who journey with our engaged couples through the process.

Interfaith Marriage at Creighton/St. John’s:

Today 45% of couples getting married in the

Catholic Church have one person who is not Catholic. Creighton/St. John’s Marriage Preparation office offers an ecumenical teaching and discussion opportunity for these couples to help them learn and experience how their different faiths can be valued and drawn upon to help form a strong marriage relationship.

FOCCUS facilitation in process for Shelli Boesch and Kris McVaney with facilitator, Renee O’Brien.